The University of Andorra (UdA) officially opened the 2026–2027 academic year in Andorra on Tuesday, 6 October, at a ceremony presided over by the Head of Government, Xavier Espot, together with the Rector of the University, Juli Minoves. The inaugural lecture was delivered by Slim Khalbous, Rector of the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), of which the UdA is a member. The AUF is the world’s first university network and brings together 1,007 universities in 119 countries. Khalbous highlighted the importance of linking scientific diplomacy and Francophonie and outlined future projects in this field.

The ceremony included the presentation of the activity report for the 2025–2026 academic year, during which 15 regulated study programmes and 124 continuing education programmes were offered, as well as the new developments for the academic year now under way. These include a renewed focus on doctoral studies, particularly industrial doctorates, thanks to the recent call for grants launched by the Government of Andorra, as well as the introduction of new study programmes for the Bachelor’s Degrees in Computer Science and Nursing and the first call for research project proposals from the University of Andorra’s Institute for Health Research (IURS).

The Rector reported that the new academic year had begun with 665 students enrolled in regulated programmes, adding that, “in February, according to our forecasts, around 25 more will join them: students from the second call of the International Doctoral School, the first industrial doctoral students and students enrolled in the new online Bachelor’s Degrees in Political Science and International Relations. This will bring us to around 690 students: a stable figure, probably slightly above the 685 students recorded last year, which was already the highest number in our history.”

He added that, “although the country’s secondary-school graduating cohorts are getting smaller every year, and the student-age population is declining both here and across Europe, this year we have 237 new students, slightly more than last year. In other words, a higher proportion of a smaller group of young people are choosing us. Business Administration, with 57 new students, Nursing, with 36, and Law, with 28, are the programmes attracting the most demand. If we add continuing education, which reached 1,026 students across 124 programmes last year, the University of Andorra provides education and training to more than 1,700 people every year in a country with just over 90,000 inhabitants.”

Looking ahead, Minoves announced the planned launch of a new Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology in the 2027–2028 academic year, “together with new facilities featuring classrooms equipped with the latest technology in health sciences.” A new Bachelor’s Degree in History is also planned for a later stage.

For his part, the Head of Government, who officially declared the 2026–2027 academic year open, reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to a strong, innovative and outward-looking university, placing knowledge and talent at the centre of Andorra’s development model.

The opening ceremony also included a tribute to former rectors Daniel Bastida and Miquel Nicolau and concluded with the presentation of official degrees to those who completed their DPA, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral studies during the 2025–2026 academic year. This was the University of Andorra’s 36th graduating cohort, with 125 graduates, setting a new all-time record and consolidating the sustained growth of the public institution. The graduates received their state-recognised degrees from the Minister for Institutional Relations, Education and Universities, Ladislau Baró, and the Rector of the UdA.

Photographs of the ceremony

Video of the ceremony

Publication date: 6 October 2026